Pureblood
by ThePet
Summary: When Voldemort was at the height of his power, a pureblood wizard, fearing temptation, rebelled against his true nature and abandoned magic. Now he is back...much to the consternation of his brother, Severus Snape. *5*
1. Chapter I

A/N Just wanted to thank, once again, all the wonderful people who reviewed my first HP fic, 'If You Go Down to the Woods Today…' (and indeed, those who reviewed my other stories). This is not the promised Snape/McGonagall continuation but a completely different thing; it's been lurking about in my head for ages. I'd like to make it clear that Sejanus, my OC, is *not* a (gasp!) Harry Stu/Mary Sue male equivalent, and neither will he be the new DADA teacher, wonderful at everything, or remotely like Snape, except in appearance. He is not at all what he seems, either :-) Please review, and tell me what you think of the story, and of Sejanus! BTW this starts off in a fairly relaxed, light vein, but will get angsty later on. Footnotes, as always, marked with asterisks.  
  
Chapter One  
  
In the midst of a misty maudlin May morning, a young professor, dressed in a gown of midnight black which matched his short tidy hair and bright eyes, moved briskly through the crowded street. Briskly, but with a kind of lanky grace, his swift movements not matching the dreamy expression on his face. He had just witnessed the May chorus, sung in the early morning on the first day of May by the choir of Magdalene College, Oxford. Sung to the heavens, in love, in reverence and blessing, in joy and hope, in exultation. Sung by young voices, coming from young hearts full of promise, young minds brilliant and keen. He had heard it many times, since he himself had been a student at Oxford, but never did his affection for its beautiful simplicity lessen.  
  
Although it was only seven in the morning, many people milled around the professor as he made his way back to St John's college, in which he lived, unusually for a tutor, but then he was unmarried and not especially wealthy. The crowds of course had been drawn by the choir's performance, and consisted of many tourists as well as tutors and students. The professor smiled as a bedraggled, dripping group of undergraduates tottered past, obviously very drunk, and clearly having indulged in the time- honoured tradition of throwing themselves off Magdalene bridge in the first light of the new May morning*.  
  
Professor Snape had never been one for hurling himself off bridges, or indeed for any reckless behaviour, but he admired the tendency in others. Snape had always felt old before his time, and had recently come to believe that perhaps he was missing out on something. Something like living, perhaps. But he was safe in Oxford; safe away from the seduction of the darkness from which he had run so many years ago. But it could not be so forever. Snape was a wizard, and wizards, especially purebloods, do not give up on their own kind so easily. Nor do they allow them to run riot at Muggle universities, as the letter he had received yesterday evening from the Ministry of Magic had rather unfairly stated. Snape was not running riot; he was tutoring and lecturing English literature to a large group of very competent and charming undergraduates, of whom he was exceedingly fond. Snape had come to love his students dearly and was loathe to be separated from them when he knew he could offer them the benefit of his own fine intellect. He had no illusions about his own abilities and worth; Snape was after all a Slytherin. He had been sorted into that house, and Sorting tended to stay with a person, even if that person had long since elected a life of Muggledom. Or Muggle-*don*, Snape thought, his ironic sense of humour coming to rescue him as it so often had in the face of adversity.  
  
For this truly was a difficult time. Snape had witnessed, perhaps, his last May Chorus. As he made his way towards the enormous forked road of St. Giles, it seemed as though he was experiencing everything for the last time - the sights: glorious buildings with their spires shining in the early sun, the tourists scurrying excitedly about, gazing rapt at the majesty of the city; and the sounds! The hum of traffic, slight as it was so early in the morning, the clicking of cameras, the hubbub of excited voices speaking in myriad different languages. And of course the smells - the waft of coffee and pastry from one of the many delicatessens, the flowers in St. John's beautiful gardens…how he loved it all! And how his heart would break to leave it behind. But leave it he must, for the Ministry must be obeyed. He would go willingly, or they would come for him.  
  
Dumbledore himself, the great and kindly headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had assured Snape that he would still have a job at Oxford University when his year in the wizarding world was complete. A year sounded like such a long time. But Snape was, in the Ministry's view, a risk: his magic was powerful but untrained, and he must learn, like every witch and wizard, to control and contain it, for the sake of the Muggles, for the sake of secrecy. Snape resented heartily being forced to return to his old school, as though he was a child playing truant. He resented having to sit through *classes* and take *exams*, something he had thought to be done with years ago. And most of all, he resented that neither the Ministry nor Dumbldore respected his right to stand by the decision he had made all those years ago, at the tender age of fifteen, when his beloved brother had fallen prey to the Dark. The decision, so simple and yet so profound, to quit his own world forever, to sink into oblivion among Muggles, to forfeit the power that was his birthright and his nature. To escape danger, to escape the Dark Lord, to escape…temptation.  
  
They, the Ministry, might think him foolish; Dumbledore might fret about his mental state; his brother might consider him an embarrassment. But despite their fears and interference, despite their arguments and advice to the contrary, Sejanus Snape knew he had made the right choice.  
  
  
  
A/N Thoughts? Reviews very much appreciated. The usual suspects make an appearance in the next chapter, this was just an intro :-)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N This is a perfectly genuine tradition, great fun if a bit barmy ^_^  
  
  
  
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	2. Chapter II

1 Chapter Two  
  
Hogwarts was blissfully quiet. Sitting at the staff table in the near- empty Great Hall, nibbling toast, Severus Snape relished the virtual silence. The lack of noise, giggling, muttering. The lack of *children*. Snape could never be said to be in a good mood, as such, but at least in the holidays, with no classes to teach and plenty of free time for his own research, his demeanour was less dour and bitter than in term-time.  
  
Of course a few pupils had stayed over the holidays, as always, but mercifully Potter and his Merry Band of Cretins were not among them. This was after all the summer holidays; even Potter had to leave the school sometimes, and Snape had enjoyed a reasonably relaxing, brat-free summer.  
  
It was fortunate for Snape that the letter arrived at such an opportune time, when the hall was so empty; fortunate especially that Potter et al, and those exasperating and numerous Weasleys, did not witness the majestic hawk swooping over the staff table, dropping a note wrapped around a bottle not into Snape's lap, but directly upon his greasy head. With a small, involuntary cry of "ouch!" Snape retrieved the object and removed the single sheet of paper. It did not escape his attention that the bottle contained shampoo. Nor did he fail to notice the smile quivering upon Dumbledore's lips, or the soft giggle that came from one of the few pupils eating breakfast further down the hall.  
  
"This would be Sejanus' reply, I fancy." The headmaster remarked. Snape said nothing. He spread out the letter while the hawk watched him with an air of utter disinterest. Dumbledore, leaning across the Potions master, offered the bird a piece of toast, which it deigned to take from his hand, though maintaining a haughty air.  
  
"Greetings, Amadeus." Murmured Dumbledore, then fell silent as Snape cleared his throat and began to read the letter in a low voice, pitched to the headmaster's ear only, though professor Sprout was blatantly eavesdropping from behind a copy of the Daily Prophet, and McGonagall was listening openly, her sharp eyes fixed curiously on Snape.  
  
"'My dear brother," Snape read, without expression, "forgive the slight delay in replying to your wonderfully encouraging letter.'" Snape frowned at the rather heavy sarcasm, preferring himself a slimmer and sharper blade. The letter he had sent to Sejanus had simply read:  
  
'Return to Hogwarts immediately before you disgrace the family name further. Yours affec'ly, S.'  
  
With a grunt Snape continued to read. "'You will be glad to know that I will be arriving at Hogwarts by train at the start of the new term. I look forward to seeing you again…'" Snape broke off, cleared his throat, and tried to crumple up the letter.  
  
"No message for me?" Asked Dumbledore with a smile. Snape hesitated, sighed, handed the paper over and pretended interest in his now cold breakfast. Dumbledore continued reading where the Potions master had left off.  
  
"'…you greasy git. Please give my regards to Professor Dumbledore and let him know that I accept his offer. I cannot write to him also as I am in a tremendous hurry, trying to sort out the mess you people have made of my life before I leave. Thanks for that. Your loving brother, Sejanus.' Excellent news!"  
  
"Is it?" Murmured Snape. "I suppose at least the Ministry and my grandmother will stop sending those furious letters about him. It's been difficult to keep his existence quiet all these years." Dumbledore took a sip of his tea, shooting an apparently casual glance at the potions master. Snape's sallow face was slightly flushed, and his hand trembled just a little. To Dumbledore's perceptive eye, it was obvious that Snape had missed his younger brother immensely, and was nervous about the impending reunion. It had been many years since the brothers had seen one another.  
  
"What's this position he talks about?" Snape asked Dumbledore, but before the headmaster could reply, the hawk Amadeus, who had been sitting regally beside Snape's plate, gave a startling shriek.  
  
"My apologies." Said Dumbledore gravely. "Thank you, Amadeus. Please feel free to rest in the Owlery if you wish." Amadeus inclined his head stiffly towards Dumbledore, rose into the air without a glance at Snape, and swooped off.  
  
"The position." Snape reminded Dumbledore irritably. It was impossible, surely, that Sejanus might be offered the DADA post, once again empty…but the potions master was convinced Albus would rather appoint Filch than Snape himself, despite - or perhaps because of - Snape's extraordinary competence in the field. But Sejanus, thought talented in Defence Against the Dark Arts as a student, had never qualified in that or any other magical subject. Surely he could not be appointed as a teacher? Had Dumbledore offered his brother some sort of administrative job?  
  
"…studies." Dumbledore was finishing, and Snape realised he hadn't been listening.  
  
"I beg your pardon, headmaster?"  
  
"Sejanus had been offered, and has accepted, the post of professor of Muggle Studies here at Hogwarts. I can think of few more qualified. He will also be assisting in a variety of subjects, including potions, as part of his training. It seems rather inappropriate to treat Sejanus as an ordinary pupil - he is an adult, after all." Snape had to agree. His brother was strikingly intelligent, a trait which had almost persuaded the Sorting Hat to place him in Ravenclaw. But Sejanus was also - or rather, had been at one time - very ambitious, and had a tendency to go about achieving his goals in rather eccentric ways. Thus he had, after some deliberation by the hat, been placed in Slytherin, along with his older brother Severus.  
  
As an infant Sejanus had been his brother's pet, as a toddler, his playmate, as an older child, his friend, and now, his responsibility. Severus had protected and cared for his brother up until the very day Sejanus abandoned the wizarding world and chosen his own bizarre path, to the consternation of the remaining members of the Snape family - the matriarch Livia, Snape's grandmother; various cousins, and an uncle who was rather less concerned about the issue, since he lived as a hermit in Romania and had never met Sejanus or Severus. Some claimed darkly that Sejanus had inherited his weirdness from that selfsame uncle, Drusus, referred to always with a grimace and/or knowing sneer. Though sometimes, when his heart rebelled against his head, Snape wondered whether mad old uncle Drusus - and indeed Sejanus himself - might not be right in wanting to escape the world.  
  
These confusing thoughts and feelings pursued Snape for the last few days of the holiday. Dumbledore recognised this left the potions master alone, knowing Snape was trying to work out how best to greet his errant sibling, and mend the fences left broken for so long. The headmaster made sure, however, by various little attentions, that Snape knew he had a willing listener and advisor, should be need one. He hoped that Sejanus too would come to see him as a trusted confidant, for Dumbledore had liked the young man, and rather admired his boldness in selecting such a remarkable life for himself, and doing so with success. Sejanus' departure from Oxford was being explained in terms of an exchange with another university, and as such Dumbledore had received a number of references from the tutor's superiors, all of them praising Sejanus highly - his competence, integrity, intellect, and genuine affection for those he taught.  
  
However, despite his admiration for the young man Dumbledore believed that Sejanus was denying a vital part of himself, and such behaviour could not truly be healthy…he hoped that Sejanus, at the end of the year, would elect to remain at Hogwarts, and perhaps take on the DADA position, which would certainly be open again by that time, for the headmaster has chosen to teach the class partly himself this year. He was also planning to invite Snape to take some of the less advanced classes…ones simple enough not to tempt the potions master, but enough to persuade Severus that the headmaster really did trust him and consider him worthy. Dumbledore feared that the return of Sejanus, though mostly a cause for celebration, might bring back some difficult and unhappy memories for his world-weary elder brother. 


	3. Chapter III

A/N Thanks so much to my reviewers! I was in two minds about continuing this story - it didn't seem to be ticking along the way I wanted - but since the idea's been tooling around in my head for ages…to paraphrase a certain move: if that is truly the will of the reviewers, my Muse will see it done! ;-) Thanks again, hope you enjoy chapter three - in which Sejanus meets some Hogwarts students.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Sejanus Snape had not travelled by the Hogwarts Express for a long time. He remembered vaguely something about walking through walls, which did not assist him greatly, and thus was very relieved when a ticket arrived, along with instructions. The idea of receiving a second Hogwarts letter at the age of thirty was amusing to him. Sejanus had learned to be very good at letting go of bitterness and anger; it was all that had kept him alive and sane for the last fifteen years or so, all that had allowed him to love his brother despite everything that had happened. A part of him was even looking forward to seeing the school again, to spending time with fellow wizards - and he would be teaching young people, something he loved beyond all other things. But he was nervous - no, terrified - about the reunion with Severus.  
  
There was little time to worry about it, however - the train was pulling in to the platform, and Sejanus hopped quickly on board after stowing his luggage. He settled himself in an empty carriage, beside the window, looking out at the mostly happy, laughing faces of the young people preparing for the new year at school. Some of them looked fearful - first years, so small! It was easy to pick out the muggle-borns - they were the ones with the roundest eyes, the biggest smiles, the expressions of wonder on their faces. Sejanus waved to a group of them standing near his window, and they, spotting a teacher, waved back shyly. Sejanus smiled to himself. He loved children. His greatest regret in life was not having any of his own - that would not be possible, now. Perhaps it had never been. It was something he and Severus had both agreed on long ago: the Snape family line, or at least their branch of it, would stop with them. No more children would face what they had experienced. No more bright-eyed, black haired, brilliant boys and girls would fall prey to the temptation of the dark. Sejanus had made Severus promise - the night, the only night, Severus had come to see him, immediately after his return to the Light; the night Severus had wept in his brother's arms, the only time Sejanus had seen him cry - except when mother died. Correction. When grandmother Livia poisoned her. The Snapes' fondness for poisoning one another had become something of a joke among other powerful pureblood families, which all, of course, had their own techniques for removing unwanted relatives. The only reason Severus and Sejanus had survived was because it fell to one of them to produce an heir - Livia couldn't go on forever after all - and as things stood, Sejanus was the more likely to do so from Livia's point of view. She would have to strike within the year to prevent her grandson from marrying a muggle and producing a halfblood child. Livia didn't know that Sejanus had vowed he would never have children - he would not damn the poor infant by bringing it into this world.  
  
Dreadful how the sight of laughing children could bring such dark thoughts. He wondered if Severus, as he stood before his class and looked into the innocent, hopeful faces, ever regretted his own decision to forsake his right to be a father. But Severus had a godson, of course…  
  
A sudden sound startled Sejanus out of his musings, rather to his relief. The carriage door was opening. A freckled face topped with bright red hair peered in at him.  
  
"Oh! Er…sorry." A pleasant young voice, slightly embarrassed. Sejanus, taking in the gangly boy's appearance, could only think, this *must* be a Weasley!  
  
"That's all right. Come in." The boy still stared at him as though he was a blast-ended skrewt. Do I look so much like Severus? Sejanus reflected that students were probably shy of his aptly-named brother. But now a girl was pushing behind the boy; bushy-brown hair made an appearance, followed by a heart-shaped snub-nosed face. Another boy seemed to be hovering behind her.  
  
"Go on, Ron. Everywhere else is full." Said the girl irritably, giving the redhead a push. Ron came all the way into the carriage, offering a hesitant, awkward sort of grin, and dropped into the seat opposite Sejanus. The girl followed, and with her, the second boy…black-haired, round glasses, rather small compared to Ron. Brilliant green eyes. He reminded Sejanus of something…  
  
Gods, that's *Harry Potter*! The realisation came as the boy brushed back his fringe as it fell in his eyes, and Sejanus caught the briefest glimpse of the famous lightning-bolt scar. Even *he*, the quintessential muggle-by-choice, knew about Harry Potter. He had always wanted to thank the boy - though 'thank' seemed rather inadequate. After all, Potter had brought about the fall of the Dark Lord, and though Severus' rivalry with James Potter and his clan was legendary, Sejanus didn't see why that animosity needed to extend to his obviously remarkable son.  
  
A fourth youngster followed the others into the carriage, glancing shyly at Sejanus. She was smaller than the others, seemingly a little younger, with a strong resemblance to Ron - the flaming red hair proclaimed her another Weasley. Once they were all settled, the bushy-haired girl took it upon herself to make the introductions.  
  
"How do you do? I'm Hermione Granger, this is Harry Potter, and Ron and Ginny Weasley." As though determined to prove she wasn't afraid of him. Am I so scary?  
  
"Pleased to meet all of you." Replied Sejanus, in as friendly a tone as possible. "I'm Sejanus Snape, I think you know my brother." Get it over with straight away.  
  
"Er…yes." Muttered Hermione. The two boys exchanged pained looks. Sejanus grinned inwardly.  
  
"Don't worry." He told them cheerfully. "I'm not a git. At least I hope not." Well, why not get them on side? He wasn't a *real* teacher after all, more of a…mature student. He wanted the pupils of Hogwarts to like him - being the brother of the fearsome Potions Master was an obstacle. Best make sure they realised Sejanus was not simply a carbon copy of Severus.  
  
"I'll be teaching muggle studies." Sejanus went on chattily. "Any of you take that?" Only Ginny nodded.  
  
"I'm muggle-born." Explained Hermione. "And Harry lives with muggles. Ron," she gave him a sharp look, "just doesn't take that subject."  
  
"I always think it's rather useful." Sejanus told Ron, mildly.  
  
"My dad wanted me to take it." The red haired boy volunteered, though he still seemed rather suspicious of Sejanus. "He's got a thing about muggle stuff…especially technology."  
  
"Is your father Arthur Weasley?"  
  
"Yes! You know him - er, sir?"  
  
"Not exactly. I know *of* him. I was delighted to hear about the Muggle Protection Act."  
  
"Oh, er…great." There was an awkward silence. Sejanus was aware that the youngsters wanted to be on their own. He considered moving to another carriage, but there wouldn't be one empty…perhaps he should mingle, get to know the students?  
  
"Well, I'll see you all at Hogwarts - and you in class, Ginny." He added, with a smile for the shy youngest one, whom he was already beginning to like. She smiled back.  
  
"Good morning." Sejanus made his way to the door.  
  
"'Bye, sir." Ron and Harry chorused, sounding relieved.  
  
"Good morning, professor." Hermione added, primly. Sejanus smiled again and departed.  
  
  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Moving down the train, Sejanus had spotted more Weasleys, and decided to sit with them for a while. These two were twins. They looked at him with exactly the same suspicion as their younger brother, but moved up anyway.  
  
"This is George." Said one.  
  
"And that's Fred." Replied his brother. They grinned identical, wicked grins.  
  
"So that leaves me to conclude that *you* are George," he told the first twin, "and *this* is Fred." The grins got wider.  
  
"I'm professor Snape." The grins disappeared. "Or professor Snape's brother, I should say - Sejanus. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Our pleasure." Replied the twins, the grins back. Sejanus decided he'd need to watch his back with these two.  
  
"We didn't know professor Snape had a brother, sir." Fred - probably - remarked.  
  
"You're not as greasy as he is, sir." Added George.  
  
"Now, boys. That isn't polite. I won't take points from Gryffindor since we're not at school yet - but please keep those sorts of remarks to yourselves." It was mild discipline, and the twins seemed surprised at getting off so lightly. Well, Severus *was* greasy. He seemed to think that, since no one liked him anyway, his appearance didn't really matter.  
  
"How did you know we were Gryffindors, sir?" George asked curiously.  
  
"Obvious. Only a Gryffindor would have your cheek." With a smirk Sejanus took his leave of them, and went off to harass some other pupils. There was one boy in particular he wanted to meet…  
  
  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
The pale blonde boy had been sitting with his cheek on his hand, gazing out of the window. He glanced up at the sound of Sejanus' voice. An expression of languorous curiosity drifted across his face.  
  
"Yes?" He managed to make even that one word a careless, aristocratic drawl.  
  
"I'm Sejanus Snape."  
  
Malfoy, refusing to react, nodded with a politeness that was strangely insulting and indicated the two enormous boys opposite him.  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
"As I suspected - hello, boys." Just like their fathers. Ugh! But Sejanus was not interested in the troglodytes - he was interested in Draco Malfoy.  
  
"I'll be teaching at Hogwarts this year." The younger Snape explained. "And since I am your…god-uncle…and we've never met, I thought we might get acquainted."  
  
"Quite." Came the response. "A pleasure to finally meet you…sir."  
  
"Sejanus will do," the professor replied, "until we get to Hogwarts." Sejanus was a little out of practice at dealing with the likes of a Malfoy - politics had to be observed, social position was of vital importance. The Snapes ranked slightly below the Malfoys; the Malfoys were to betreated with respect. He remembered that much from his grandmother's tutelage. Polite to the Malfoys. Amicable towards the Mont-Streppings. Coldly tolerant towards the Crabbes, Goyles, Bulstrodes and various others. Disdainful to the Weasleys. The Malfoys ranked ahead of the Snapes and the Mont-Streppings ranked as their equals, more or less; no other purebloods came close. Few of them were good enough for Livia to even acknowledge them as existing. The Snapes were a notoriously arrogant family; descended from Romanian and Irish aristocracy, with, it was rumoured, vampire blood, and even one or two banshees. An ancient and powerful family, now rapidly dying out, unless either Sejanus or Severus could provide an heir. Sejanus wondered how much the young Draco knew of the Snapes' family history and current plight - but doubted whether he cared.  
  
For now, it didn't matter. Be respectful, the voice at the back of his mind warned. Sejanus, as the younger brother, was required to behave submissively towards the Malfoy firstborn, part of the contract which had bound the families for centuries. Severus, as the older brother, technically the head of the family (no one was in any doubt that the true head was Livia, but of course, she was female), Draco's godfather, and blood-brother to Lucius, had the privilege of treating Draco as the child he was until the boy came of age, at which point they would be equals, and most probably bound in the same way Severus had been bound to Lucius, through blood and family contract.  
  
Sejanus was not a man who hated easily or lightly.  
  
But Sejanus hated the Malfoys.  
  
He hated Lucius, who had gone into the dark and dragged Sejanus' beloved brother with him. Bonded by blood.  
  
He hated Draco for the sins of his father.  
  
Nevertheless, he played the game.  
  
For the moment.  
  
  
  
A/N Please review and tell me what you think! This was a strange chapter, but the whole story is rather strange… 


	4. Chapter IV

A/N Finally, the fourth chapter of this story is finished, and the fifth is more than half-done as well, so should be up soon. Many apologies to my regular readers for the delay – I had a bit of a block with this story but it's sorted now.

Thanks as always to my terrific beta, Amy!

N.B. The not-so-subtle reference to Alan Rickman is an in-joke from one of my other Snape's Family stories, a comedy called 'Village of the Snapes', in which halfblood wizard/actor 'Alan Rickman-Snape' made a cameo appearance. :-)

"The train will arrive on time, Severus, as it always does."

"I am well aware of when the train is expected, Headmaster."

"Then perhaps your anxiety is not entirely to do with your desire to keep to our usual schedule?" Albus Dumbledore suggested, blue eyes twinkling. But Snape would not be drawn so easily into discussing his fears about the reunion with Sejanus. He merely raised an eyebrow and suggested dryly,

"Perhaps I'm hungry."

"If you were hungry, you would have eaten something at lunch. You did not."

"Perhaps," Snape offered, in the same deadpan voice, "I'm on a diet."

Dumbledore's smile widened as his gaze took in the potions master's wraithlike form, but he said only,

"I sometimes wonder, Severus, why so many of our students fail to notice your sense of humour. Perhaps, inexperienced as they are in social interactions, they mistake it for something else."  


"I was being entirely serious, Headmaster."

"Of course." With a last, thoughtful look at Snape, Dumbledore gave up for the moment and turned to gaze out of the staffroom window. Snape collected a cup of coffee for himself and dropped into a chair with an attempt at nonchalance; it failed, as always, to work, and he was on his feet again within moments, pacing and fidgeting with restless energy.

"Ah." Said Dumbledore.

"Ah?"

"I do believe the train has arrived."

The headmaster ignored the sound of Snape choking on his coffee, and swept briskly from the room. The potions master stood rigid for a moment, then took a steadying breath, removed a small bottle from his robes rocket and took a sip from it, coughing as the potent liquid inside burned his throat. Nothing like a little home-made whisky to make a bad situation less memorable. Snape had the vague notion that he should be happy at the prospect of a reunion with his long-lost brother; he reflected that normal people *would* be happy…but Snape had never been given any opportunity to develop normal emotional reactions to any event. 

He forced himself to step firmly, with his usual vampiric grace, in the headmaster's wake. Dumbledore had waited for him at the end of the corridor.

"Would you prefer to greet Sejanus before we go for dinner?" He enquired. Again, a question normal people would not be asked, nor expect to be asked – of course they would want time alone with a long-lost relative. But Dumbledore knew Snape better than anyone; if truth be told, better, in some ways, even than Snape himself. The potions master had spent so much of his life hiding from his own psyche that it had become second nature…along with the carefully maintained public façade of being a completely heartless git. For Snape, it would be less difficult to greet his brother in the midst of other people, when the barriers would be easier to build. 

It was perhaps surprising, therefore, that Snape replied evenly,

"Yes, I would. Thank you, Headmaster." 

Dumbledore nodded, and departed for the Great Hall, leaving Snape to make his way to the entrance hall.

Sejanus tried not to let his nervousness show as he left the Hogwarts Express with the students, surrounded on all sides by laughter and chatter. He spotted Harry Potter and his friends; Potter smiled politely, and little Ginny waved to Sejanus. He waved back, surprised and pleased to have made a friend already. Sejanus also saw Malfoy – he had departed that young man's carriage after an acceptable interval – swaggering along the platform, accompanied as always by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy raised an eyebrow at Sejanus, who nodded to him; the boy's grey eyes narrowed, but he nodded back coolly.

Was it just disgust, or was Malfoy suspicious of him? Sejanus decided the former; Draco, he had concluded (rightly or wrongly; he was prejudiced, after all) after only a few minutes in his company, was not the sharpest knife in the box. Brighter than his two gorilla-like bodyguards, perhaps, but still a hairsbreadth from stupid. Probably the results of excessive inbreeding – how else could the Malfoys maintain their supposedly completely pure blood? There were even halfbloods in the Snape family – Mad Uncle Drusus had a grandson, or perhaps a nephew, Sejanus could not really remember, who was halfblood, apparently without knowing it. Sejanus had never met him, but Trefusis and Gaius – his twin cousins – reported that Alan, as the halfblood was called, was a pleasant sort of chap who had made quite a name for himself in the Muggle film industry.

Sejanus was interrupted in his musings by a sort of squeak from behind him – it was Neville Longbottom, whom he had met briefly on the journey, and Sejanus was blocking his path. Neville – who according to a friendly Irish boy called Finnigan, was utterly terrified of Severus Snape – apparently was too afraid to actually speak. Sejanus smiled kindly at him.

"Am I in your way, Neville? Sorry. Come past, then."

The timid boy scurried away without turning back. Sejanus allowed himself a silent chuckle; Severus was rather sarcastic and difficult to get to know, but Sejanus had had no idea that his brother instilled such terror in the hearts of his students. Bitter, perhaps, that his own childhood had been so painful, thought Sejanus sadly. He himself had learned long ago that bitterness and jealousy caused more unhappiness, in the percipient as well as the recipient, than it was worth. If only Severus could understand that…

Sejanus froze. He had been wandering almost absent-mindedly up to the castle, paying little attention to his surroundings; despite the years which had passed since he had seen Hogwarts, it was as familiar to him as if he had left yesterday. The many years between seemed to have dissolved en route to the school. His subconscious brain had half-expected Severus to be exactly as he remembered…and it was the disconfirmation of this expectation which had so startled him.

Severus stood in front of the doors, his posture tense, peering into the crowd of students, not having spotted Sejanus yet. His older brother's appearance was a painful shock to Sejanus; Severus had always been thin, but now he was positively emaciated; his jet-black hair, which had once been long and wavy, if a little greasy, was shorn roughly and unevenly to his shoulders and hung in a way that almost covered his face. Sejanus found himself battling a sudden desire to slip past Severus and avoid him for as long as possible; he realised his dreaded seeing his brother's face – what alarmed him most of all was the prospect that when he looked at his brother properly for the first time, he might be gazing into the eyes of a stranger.

But Severus had spied him, and was descending the steps; at least his prowling, catlike way of walking was the same, though the slowness of his step suggested feigned nonchalance. Sejanus made his way through the crowd to greet his brother, trying to calm himself with deep, slow breaths. It did not work, and, when he came face to face with Severus at last, words failed him completely. It was the older brother who spoke first.

"Sejanus." He said, quietly. "Welcome home."

They stood in Snape's office in the dungeons, both awkward, neither knowing what to say. After a moment, Severus strode to a cabinet in the corner, unlocked it, and pulled out an old, unlabelled bottle.

"Whisky?" He offered, sloshing a liberal amount into two glasses – one of which was very dusty – without waiting for an answer. Sejanus accepted the drink, and managed a smile.

"I remember you threatening to hex me when you caught me trying to steal a bottle of this from father's private stores."

Severus' lips twitched in what could have been an attempt at a wry grin.

"You were far too young to drink. This stuff is barely legal, at any rate."

"I'm glad Father passed on the skill of making it to you, though. That's one family tradition I'm happy to uphold. Cheers." Sejanus took a gulp, and gasped, almost dropping the glass. It was, in fact, the first time he had tasted the famous Snape homebrew. Severus smirked at him half-heartedly, drained his own glass, and poured another. There was another silence, longer but more companionable than the first. Eventually, Severus murmured,

"It's been a very long time. Don't think I haven't been keeping an eye on you, however. I was always with you, in a way."

This comment might have been tender, even sentimental, coming from anyone else, but from Severus it was nothing more or less than a bald statement of fact. Sejanus' hawk, Amadeus, was no mere bird – he was an animagus, an elderly wizard who had served the Snape family all his life, their most trusted and capable retainer. Amadeus divided his time between Uncle Drusus – Grandmama Livia insisted on keeping a close watch on the white sheep of the family – and Sejanus, bringing the young wizard occasional news of his home and family, and keeping an extensive record of Sejanus' activities at the same time. Sejanus had known this, of course, but he also trusted Amadeus implicitly; the taciturn old man had a soft spot for him, and refrained from reporting anything that might embarrass Sejanus, or result in him being dragged home. Amadeus had also served as a guardian of sorts, until Sejanus was old enough to take care of himself in the strange and often surprisingly dangerous Muggle world.

Sejanus took another drink of whisky before slowly raising his head, and looking – really looking – at his brother for the first time. It was as bad as he had expected; Severus looked drained and rather ill, and his skin was sallow and stretched across his high cheekbones, which had once seemed almost regal. Now he looked as though he had not eaten properly, or slept, for a week: there were dark shadows under his eyes, and it seemed that he was neglecting his personal hygiene somewhat. Not that Severus had ever taken a great deal of care about his appearance, but this was a definite decline.

The worst, however, came when Sejanus steeled himself and gazed directly into his brother's eyes. He had feared to see a stranger there – but what he did find was far worse. Severus' eyes were as sharp and glittering as ever, but they also seemed strangely empty, almost…dead. At one time, Severus had had most expressive eyes; you could look into them and it felt like seeing into his soul, everything he was feeling was reflected in those striking eyes. Now, Sejanus saw nothing but a kind of desperate weariness, and, after a while, something dark and bitter which he did not want to think about. It was as though, after years of suffering and guilt, Severus had finally given up on emotions, allowed himself to die inside, while walking around appearing to the outside world like some hideous puppet of himself. For the benefit of the others. It had always been for others.

Sejanus restrained himself from commenting on any of this, though it was difficult; instead, he forced his voice to be steady, and said quietly,

"I've missed you, Severus. It's good to see you again." 


	5. Chapter V

Severus Snape made his way slowly down the slimy stone steps to his classroom, lost in thought, not even noticing a few late pupils slipping nervously past him. The class had been scheduled to begin three minutes ago, but Snape always made sure to arrive a little after the last straggling students, the better to startle them as he slammed the door and swept in his batlike way to the front desk.  
  
This morning, Snape was distracted; usually, prior to the first Potions lesson of the new school year with Potter and his entourage, Snape was focussed entirely on that - making sure Potter did not get above himself, trying to suppress Granger's infuriating know-it-all tendencies, which were liable to get her hurt one day (as he knew from experience). Preventing Longbottom from causing havoc, clearing up following the wretched boy's inevitable disasters despite Snape's efforts, and keeping Malfoy happy effectively took up the rest of the lesson. It was a wonder he had any time for teaching. But today, Snape could hardly bring himself to care. His thoughts were entirely focussed on something else.  
  
Snape was thinking about his brother's eyes. Bright black eyes, much like his own, but without the curious glitter, which had not appeared in Severus' eyes until after he was blood-bonded to Lucius Malfoy - according to Malfoy, Snape's eyes had flashed grey for an instant during the ceremony. In moments of strong emotion that glitter returned, as though to remind Snape of the fact that he was not free, could never be alone - he was after all bonded, in different ways, to not one wizard but two.  
  
Sejanus' eyes had been different; they had not glittered, perhaps, but they had certainly sparkled, especially when he smiled. At least, they had before. Now they seemed strangely empty; dark, silent, inexpressive.dead. Severus suppressed a shiver, then threw off his anxiety irritably, replacing it with annoyance. Unnecessary anger was hardly productive but it was better than the hideous sense of helpless foreboding which filled him whenever he let his guard down. That feeling was far heightened now, with Sejanus in the castle. All he wanted to do, all he had ever wanted to do, was keep his young brother safe; but it was one of Snape's greatest fears that someone would find out to what lengths he had been willing to go to do so. Someone other than Dumbledore, of course - Dumbledore knew. Snape had no secrets from him, or so he told himself in a firm voice. But at the back of his mind a thought nagged at him, a thought he pushed away grimly and refused even to countenance.  
  
Snape forced his mind back to the present situation as he flung open the door of his classroom and charged in, robes billowing, startling the pupils. Longbottom squeaked in alarm, and Snape flashed him a dark look as he stormed to his own desk. However, his new-term speech was interrupted that morning; he had barely opened his mouth to hiss at the students that they would be studying the properties of a complex potion used to repel certain curses, when he spotted Sejanus lounging in a corner, casually examining specimens.  
  
"Hello, Severus!" He said brightly, coming over. "Dumbledore told me to sit in on as many different classes as possible in the first week, to get an idea of how teaching progresses at Hogwarts before I start myself. Also a good way to brush up on things, I suppose. Hope you don't mind."  
  
"No." Murmured Snape, eyeing his brother thoughtfully. "Sit down. And please don't interrupt."  
  
"Certainly, Professor." Sejanus smiled, and settled himself in an empty chair. Severus noticed Malfoy giving his brother a sharp, appraising, and rather disgusted look, but there was little the older Snape could do about it, and Sejanus seemed not to care anyway. In fact he grinned at Draco, who turned away, frowning. Severus winced inwardly.   
  
Snape was unhappy about the distraction his brother presented; he was liable to spend the lesson worrying about Sejanus, rather than teaching effectively. Not that he hadn't expected this - at dinner on the first night, Dumbledore had introduced Sejanus cheerfully to the school, and explained that he would be both teaching and attending classes with the older students for a year. He also explained that, at Sejanus' own suggestion, Muggle Studies would be made compulsory for all non-Muggle- borns for the year; they would be expected to attend a lesson a week even if they had not chosen Muggle Studies, though no homework would be set. Sejanus felt strongly that the wizarding community needed to understand Muggles better, and particularly to patronise them less. Snape, watching the pupils' reaction carefully, noticed that many eyed his brother with some suspicion, others with downright dislike - the biased little demons! - while most of them applauded along with Dumbledore, as was the standard courtesy for any new staff member. Malfoy and his gang looked disgusted at the prospect of compulsory Muggle Studies. Curiously, Potter and his friends, who hated Snape more than anyone (the Potions Master had no illusions about this) clapped happily enough, and the youngest Weasley brat even smiled at Sejanus. Snape found out afterwards that his brother had been mingling with students on the train, generally being friendly and ensuring that at least a few of them would not be afraid of him because of his grim associations.  
  
"Settle down." Snape growled at the class, and silence fell. Potter et al looked decidedly miserable, and well they might, Snape thought nastily - they were in for a horrible term. Curse-repelling potions were difficult to brew and it was essential to know the theory thoroughly before any practical work was done, which meant huge amounts of homework could justifiably be set. Only Granger looked enthusiastic when Snape explained the work which was to be done in the first half of the term. He spotted her muttering to Weasley, but refrained from taking points, having caught the word 'fascinating' and more importantly the phrase, '.more about them than anyone'. Well, Snape *did* know more about repelling potions than anyone; they had been the subject of his final-year special project at Hogwarts, and he had spent many hours a week since then making sure his knowledge remained up-to-date. Trust Granger to know that, though how and where she had come across the information was something of a concern. On impulse he glanced sharply at Sejanus - had his brother been gossiping about him to the students!? Sejanus merely smiled back, and called cheerfully,  
  
"Sounds intriguing, Severus, do go on."  
  
"Shut up." Snape replied firmly. He would not have his carefully controlled classes disrupted; it had taken terms to scare the students into exactly the frame of mind he wanted.  
  
The lesson progressed smoothly after that; Sejanus behaved himself, keeping quiet for the most part and occasionally asking a reasonably intelligent question. Snape demonstrated the particular potion he had chosen for today - used to repel the Lockjaw Hex - to the class, and was pleasantly surprised when they paid attention. After the lesson, the classroom emptied as swiftly as usual, and Snape began putting away equipment. Sejanus came over to help.  
  
"You certainly know how to keep a class quiet." He remarked, sounding impressed. "Although, I tend to favour a more - friendly - approach myself."  
  
"You are not a teacher."  
  
"No, I'm a tutor, and the most important thing I've learned about it is that you have to let your guard down a little if you want the students to like you. You have to be - well, human. I expect it works the same for teaching; I remember the teachers I liked most at Hogwarts were the ones with a sense of humour, for example."  
  
Snape glowered. "I have no interest in being liked, Sejanus. I am here to train these young people to be wizards; what they think of me is irrelevant as long as they learn something."  
  
"I don't agree." Sejanus argued pleasantly. "They'll enjoy the lessons more and remember things better if you relax a little. They're quite terrified of you, some of them."  
  
"And that's the way I like to keep it, thank you. Just because Dumbledore considers you one of the staff does not mean that you have the right to criticise my teaching methods."  
  
Laughing, Sejanus held up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay! I wasn't criticising, just offering a different point of view, that's all." He grinned. "Have you noticed what we're doing?"  
  
"Arguing?"  
  
"Just like old times, isn't it?"  
  
Snape smiled faintly at that. It was true that he and his brother had not seen eye-to-eye on certain matters; Sejanus had been a sensitive, somewhat soft-hearted young man. He had sometimes had more heart than sense.  
  
"Severus," said Sejanus quietly, suddenly serious. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about. Something.well, it's not a very pleasant topic but I think we should get it over and done with."  
  
Snape nodded. He had expected this, was surprised Sejanus had not brought it up before.  
  
"Yes, we should. Come into the office." They sat, and Snape poured out more of his special whisky; his reserve supplies were running low.  
  
"It's true, then." Sejanus murmured. "I can see it in your face."  
  
"Dumbledore has told you nothing?"  
  
"I'd rather hear it from you."  
  
Snape nodded slowly, took a drink of whisky, then said flatly,  
  
"The Dark Lord has returned. He kidnapped Potter last year and used the boy's blood to rejuvenate himself. He is gathering followers, gathering strength - and the Ministry refuses to believe it. None of this has been formally acknowledged."  
  
Sejanus was silent for a moment, chewing his lip.  
  
"Is this why I was called back?" He asked quietly. "Because Dumbledore thought I might be a.target?"  
  
Snape almost dropped his glass; before he could stop himself, his free hand shot out and gripped his brother's. Sejanus looked startled but not displeased.  
  
"I'm sorry." He murmured. "I didn't mean to.worry you."  
  
"I don't know why the decision was made to call you back to Hogwarts, but it would seem likely that your assessment is correct." Snape managed, in a voice that wavered slightly. Sejanus sighed and nodded.  
  
"At first I thought it was something I did, a fairly small thing, by accident - the explosion at my college was my fault. Uncontrolled magic. I'd been expecting the letter from the Ministry, really."  
  
"It was no worse than a preschool pupil could have done."  
  
"Thanks." Said Sejanus, dryly. He fell silent for a moment, brooding.  
  
"Severus.how strong has You-Know-Who become? How much of a threat? Amadeus brought me no information about this at all; I knew nothing of it until I arrived at Hogwarts."  
  
"Dumbledore thought it best that you were not informed, for your own safety." Snape lied evenly. "He felt that you might go after the Dark Lord, seeking revenge."  
  
Sejanus gave another wry smile.  
  
"I'm a self-proclaimed Muggle, remember? In all honesty, I would be more of a liability than anything else if it came to a wizard war, and I've forgotten everything I ever knew about duelling - not that I ever knew much, of course. You were always the one who excelled at that sort of thing."  
  
Snape nodded slightly in acknowledgement of the compliment, but kept his frown firmly in place and his mind firmly on the topic at hand. Sejanus was taking the Dark Lord's return surprisingly well.perhaps it was not really clear to him how serious the situation was?  
  
"Dumbledore has formed a small army of those who know the truth, set up to oppose He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named; we operate under the rather whimsical name of 'The Order of the Phoenix.'" He waited for his brother's reaction, face set, but his stomach churning. How would Sejanus handle the information that Snape was once more involved with the Dark Lord - on the right side, of course, but still in deadly danger? Snape hoped his brother would be glad, if concerned, but Sejanus looked - stricken.  
  
"You.you are part of this Order? You're working with Dumbledore against Voldemort?"  
  
Severus blinked when his brother spoke the name, but managed to reply wryly,  
  
"It's better than the reverse."  
  
"Don't joke about this!"  
  
"Sejanus.I know this must be a shock to you.but the Dark Lord *must* be opposed. We cannot simply ignore."  
  
"Fine, but why should you be involved? How can Dumbledore ask this of you when you used to be a Death-Eater?"  
  
Snape felt his guts wrenching at this. Sejanus was questioning his loyalty to Dumbledore! That must be what lay behind his brother's reaction to learning of Snape's involvement with the Order of the Phoenix; Sejanus believed that the Dark Lord might somehow tempt Severus back to the fold.it was a pang worse than any Snape would have felt if even Dumbledore himself suspected so much.  
  
"Sejanus.I have dedicated myself to fighting He-Who.to fighting Voldemort. To destroying him and those who follow him."  
  
"And the Malfoys?"  
  
"I.what?"  
  
"You are bonded to Lucius Malfoy. Will you be able to kill him, if you have to? Can you oppose his will as you can Voldemort's?"  
  
Snape found himself unable to answer. He simply sat, staring at his brother, sick to the stomach. After all these years.all this pain and guilt and grief.still no redemption in the eyes of Sejanus, no matter how the younger man might claim to forgive him. And the worst of it was that Sejanus was right; Snape was no longer tempted by the Dark Lord's power in the least, but the thought of rebelling against Malfoy.he had never refused Lucius anything, had never been able to. Fighting Malfoy's influence would be like fighting his own mind. Snape told himself desperately, repeating something Dumbledore had insisted on time and time again whenever Snape fell into one of his long, dark depressions.  
  
"I can defeat Malfoy as well." He said aloud, more to himself that Sejanus.but he was pleased to see a look of satisfaction and relief on his brother's face, even if his voice had sounded a little shaky and uncertain.  
  
"Good for you." Sejanus murmured. "I want you to know you have my support.I'll help you, Severus, I promise you that. I'll do all I can."  
  
There was a silence as the brothers regarded one another. There was a steady ring of assurance in Sejanus' voice that seemed new; but then, Snape had not seen his brother since his brother became a man. He had been used to being the protector, taking care of Sejanus, and it felt strange to realise that the tables seemed to be turning. It was too much to hope that Sejanus was untouched by the horrors of the past, but he seemed to be dealing with them in a way far beyond Snape's own abilities. For a moment, a fear rose in Snape; the same concern which had bothered him that morning on the way to the Potions lab, bothered him since Sejanus returned - the fear he refused to express to Dumbledore because, he told himself firmly, there was nothing to be said. Nothing to fear.  
  
Nothing. 


End file.
